caleb norwood author at My Family Travels
Article
A Historic New Mexico Motel Where Guests Still Find Original Metal Keys, A Vintage Phone, And An Iconic Route 66 Neon Glow

Have you ever checked into a motel using a real metal key while a turquoise neon swallow flickered above your car? That ritual still happens every night along the Mother Road at...

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This Michigan State Park Hides Quiet Trails, Remote Campsites, And Endless Wilderness Adventure

Have you ever stood beneath a canopy of old growth forest so dense that the sun filters through in scattered coins of light? That is the daily scene at this remote Michigan state...

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The Best Tart Cherry Pies In Michigan That Locals Can’t Stop Raving About

Tart cherries are the unsung heroes of the fruit world, and no one knows this better than a certain northern Michigan establishment. What started as a t-shirt side hustle from...

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The Enormous Ohio Antique Mall Where You Can Spend Long Hours Hunting For Treasures In Hundreds Of Stalls

Aisles stretch in every direction, lined with hundreds of stalls packed with vintage furniture, retro kitchenware, old books, and oddities you never knew you needed. This enormous...

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These Kansas Grocery Stores Have The Best Meat Departments

If you want to understand a Kansas town fast, skip the greeting card aisle and head straight for the meat counter. That is where the real priorities show up. In grocery stores...

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These California Beaches Stay Peaceful Even In Peak Season

If you are craving ocean air without the shoulder to shoulder shuffle, I have a plan that keeps things mellow even when California is in full summer mode. You can trace the coast,...

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These Are The Real Breaking Bad Landmarks You Can Visit In Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico looks ordinary until you realize how many familiar scenes are hiding in plain sight. For fans of Breaking Bad, this city is less a backdrop and more a character,...

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The Tiny Alabama Town That Treats Christmas Like History

Looking for a small Alabama road trip that actually feels like a story you can step into? Head to Arab. The lights curve around...

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A California Gas Station Where A Classically Trained Chef Makes Legendary Homemade Burritos From Scratch

The smell of fresh tortillas and sizzling carne asada drifts out from a nondescript gas station, mixing with the scent of gasoline and exhaust. That is your first clue that this...

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This Small-Town Illinois Diner Changes Its Homemade Pie Selection Daily And Locals Call Ahead To Reserve Slices

What kind of pie is so good that locals call ahead just to reserve a slice before it vanishes? The answer waits at this unassuming small-town diner, where the homemade pie selection...

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The Best Cheesesteak In Pennsylvania Is Served Inside This Hole-In-The-Wall Restaurant

What do a 1920s silent movie theater, a grocery store from the 1930s, and bright pink walls have in common? They all live under one roof at this hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where...

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California’s Only Horticultural Theme Park Is Now Open For Spring With Circus Trees And A Garlic Twirl Ride

Have you ever ridden inside a giant bulb of garlic that smells like the real thing while spinning past trees shaped like hearts and baskets? That is exactly what awaits at California's...

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Indiana’s Mug-N-Bun Proves Drive-In Dining Still Matters

Mug-N-Bun immediately makes it clear this place is not in a hurry to become anything else. Cars idle, neon buzzes, and the drive-in setup dares you to sit still for a minute instead...

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This Haunted Ohio Asylum On A University Campus Houses A World-Class Art Museum And Offers Historic Public Tours

What if one of Ohio's most talked-about haunted places also held a world-class art museum and sat right on a university campus? That is the strange, layered reality of this historic...

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These California Restaurants Are Known For Exceptional Filet Mignon

Think a steak is just a steak? California begs to differ. Across the state, there are restaurants where filet mignon is treated...

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The Redwood, California, Forest Landmark Where History Meets A New Culinary Vision

Walking into the Benbow Historic Inn feels like stepping into a story that has been unfolding for more than a century. The...

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This Restored Arizona Ghost Town Offers A Rare Overnight Lockdown Experience Inside Its Haunted Buildings

Imagine spending the night locked inside a ghost town where up to eighteen miners were once hanged from a single tree. That is the rare and chilling opportunity at this restored...

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The Underrated Washington Lake Town Locals Use For Summer Escapes

When was the last time a summer place actually let you relax instead of performing for you? I asked myself that standing at Moses Lake, watching locals unload paddleboards like...

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These Indiana Grocery Stores Have Legendary Meat Sections

Some grocery stores are just a quick stop, but others make you slow down and take a second look. That is exactly what happens in Indiana, where certain grocery store meat sections...

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This Nevada Art Installation Brightens The Desert With Towering Neon Boulders

Have you ever driven through the Nevada desert and spotted a stack of towering neon boulders rising from the dusty landscape like a mirage? That is exactly what awaits at this...

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This California Ghost Town Preserves Ruined Brick Buildings, An Old Courthouse, And A Gallows From The Gold Rush

A creaking gallows, a courthouse full of gold rush paintings, and a row of brick buildings still scarred by a wildfire that nearly erased them. That is what you will find at this...

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This Nevada Ghost Town Was Once A Gold Rush Boomtown Before Being Abandoned Nearly A Century Ago

What happens when a gold rush boomtown goes from opera houses and electric lights to empty streets in less than a decade? You get this Nevada ghost town, a place that rose faster...

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This Historic Maryland Tavern Is Hiding Inside A Perfectly Preserved 1770s Building

What sort of tavern names itself after a beaver and a fancy hat? That was the original title of this Annapolis landmark, which has been pouring drinks since 1747, making it the...

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You Have Just One Day Left To Meet Newborn Lambs And Piglets At This New York Farm

Spring at this historic New York farm means one thing: baby animals. Wobbly lambs, squealing piglets, and the rare chance to hold them before they grow up.

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A Historic California Restaurant Where You Can Dine Directly Under The LAX Flight Path

A plane roars overhead so low you can almost read the landing gear, and instead of covering your ears, you raise a glass. That is the thrill of dining at this historic California...

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This Georgia Bin Store Turns Overstock Into A Weekly Bargain Hunt

What if you could walk into a store not knowing what you will find, and the prices drop lower every single day? That is the relaxed rhythm at this Georgia bin store, where returned...

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This Florida Restaurant Serves Authentic Tapas Hidden Behind A Gas Station Convenience Store

Have you ever walked past a gas station convenience store, through a Mediterranean archway, and into a cozy Spanish tapas bar? That...

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This New Hampshire Drive-In Theatre Has Been Screening Movies Continuously Since 1952

What would you do if your state's laws made running a drive-in too expensive? One clever founder simply built his theater on the state line.

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The Catfish At This Alabama Restaurant Is Almost Too Good To Share

Some places do not need hype, a long explanation, or a clever hook to win people over. They just need one plate done right. David’s...

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This California Flea Market Attracts Thousands Of Treasure Hunters Each Month

What do Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson, and a woman who found her own birth announcement in a pile of postcards have in common? They have all wandered the aisles of this legendary...

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This Massachusetts Restaurant Is A Rare Revival Of A Beloved Family Chain

Remember when restaurants let you toss peanut shells on the floor and charged your kid by the pound? That beloved, wonderfully messy chain is back in its home state, and you can...

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This Florida Antique Mall Is A Massive Treasure Trove Of Vintage Finds

Where else can you wander through 44,000 square feet of vintage treasures, stumble upon authentic Disney park memorabilia, and still be standing inside a former grocery store?...

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This Illinois Bin Store Transforms Overstock Into A Weekly Bargain Hunt

What if you could walk into a store on Friday, pay ten dollars for a mystery box, then come back on Thursday and grab the leftovers for a single buck? That is the weekly rhythm...

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This Florida Thrift Store Is Packed With Rare Vintage Treasures That Mostly Cost Under $30

What if you could walk into a store where almost every rare vintage treasure costs less than a dinner out? That is the delightful reality at this Florida thrift shop, a Latino-owned...

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This Family-Owned Wisconsin Supper Club Serves The Best Prime Rib In The State

A Friday night ritual in Wisconsin often involves a relish tray, an old-fashioned, and a cut of beef so tender it barely needs a knife. That is exactly what you will find at this...

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These Florida Destinations Don’t Impress Immediately But Win You Over

Some places take a little time to grow on you, and Florida has more than a few destinations like that. At first, they might seem quiet, ordinary, or even slightly underwhelming.

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This Washington Nonprofit Thrift Store Is A Treasure Hunter’s Dream With Beautifully Organized Vintage Finds

Some thrift stores feel like digging through a landfill. This one feels like rummaging through your coolest grandma's attic, where everything is neatly organized and actually worth...

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These Texas Small Town Escapes Hide More Than They Show

Think you know Texas small towns? Think again. You might drive through on a sunny afternoon and only notice the main street,...

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This Georgia Video Rental Store Is One Of The Last Remaining Of A Bygone Era, Featuring Over 40,000 Physical Films

Remember the ritual of wandering down narrow aisles, pulling a worn VHS case off the shelf, and hoping the last person rewound the tape? That experience is nearly extinct, except...

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These Budget-Friendly Small Towns In Wisconsin Prove You Don’t Need To Spend Big For Great Lakes Access

A weekend by the water should not require a second mortgage. Yet too many of us assume that access to the Great Lakes comes with a hefty price tag.

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This New Mexico Recreation Area Was Created By Flooding Two Historic Towns And A Covered Bridge

A covered bridge, two historic towns, and one of the Navajo people's most sacred sites all lie beneath the waters of this New Mexico recreation area. The lake was created in 1962...

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This Family-Owned Ohio Bakery Is Famous For Its Handcrafted European Breads And Rustic Pastries

A baker from Lakewood moves to Portland, learns the craft, falls in love, and convinces his partner to move back to Ohio to open a bakery. That is the unlikely romance behind this...

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This Arizona Restaurant Has A Massive All-You-Can-Eat Spread With Snow Crab, Sushi, And A Mongolian Grill

Snow crab legs piled high, a hibachi chef flipping shrimp onto your plate, and a sushi bar stocked with fresh rolls. This is not a Vegas casino buffet.

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This 35-Acre Florida Flea Market Has Been A Treasure Hunter’s Paradise For Over 50 Years

The alarm clock goes off early on a Monday morning, and across Florida, thousands of bargain hunters are doing the same thing: heading to a tiny town with a population smaller...

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The Massive Idaho Outlet Store Where Bargain Hunters Turn Clearance Racks Into Pure Gold

Have you ever walked into a store not knowing what you will find, and neither does the owner? That is the daily thrill at this massive Idaho outlet store, where bargain hunters...

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The California Recreation Area Named For A Drowned Gold Rush Town And A Main Street Lost To The Deep

Have you ever walked along a shoreline knowing that just beneath the water lies a main street, four hotels, and the remains of a Gold Rush town? That is the haunting reality at...

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These Colorado Mountain Villages Are Struggling To Stay Peaceful

Have you ever escaped to a tiny mountain village, only to find the quiet broken by bumper to bumper traffic and a drone buzzing overhead? That is the unexpected reality facing...

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This Authentic Florida French Bakery Is Famous For Its Award-Winning Baguettes And Flaky Pastries

A perfect baguette should crackle when you squeeze it, shatter into golden shards, and reveal an airy, tender crumb inside. That is exactly what you will find at this authentic...

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This Legendary 1950s Illinois Diner Serves Oversized Burgers That Keep People Coming Back

Elvis stands by the door, Marilyn Monroe waves from the corner, and Betty Boop glides across the checkered floor on roller skates. No, you have not fallen into a time warp.

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This Haunted California Museum Is Known As One Of America’s Most Spirited Houses

What if the family who built your house told you it was haunted before anyone else even moved in? That is exactly what happened at this historic California museum, known as one...

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The Expansive Pennsylvania Amish Market Where Tradition, Auctions, And Wholesale Prices Span Thousands Of Square Feet

Have you ever bought a soft pretzel from a machine built by a standholder's grandfather while standing on the site of a poultry auction that opened in 1925? That is the kind of...

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This Mysterious Arizona Roadside Attraction Has Lured Curious Drivers With Yellow Billboards For Decades

Have you ever driven past the same yellow billboard a dozen times, each one promising a mystery hidden in the desert, until you finally had to pull over and see for yourself? That...

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This Illinois Drive-In Has Been A Family-Run Outdoor Movie Theater Since 1949

What does it take for a family business to survive seventy five years, two destroyed screens, and a tornado? This Illinois drive-in has the answer, and it has been showing movies...

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This Florida Bakery Is Famous For The Cheesy Guava Pastries That Keep Hungry People Coming Back

What if the best cheesy guava pastry of your life was hiding inside a warehouse lot off a busy Miami road? That is exactly where this Florida bakery set up shop, and the timing...

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This Montana Fire Lookout Offers The Most Stargazing-Friendly Views Above The Wilderness

Have you ever slept 6,700 feet above the wilderness with nothing but a ceiling of stars stretching from horizon to horizon? There is a fire lookout in Montana that offers exactly...

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This Kansas Underground Attraction Lets You Explore A Salt Mine 650 Feet Below The Prairie

What would you expect to find 650 feet beneath a Kansas prairie? A time capsule. A Hollywood vault. And a salt crystal so...

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This Ohio Restaurant Serves The Best Meatloaf You’ll Ever Taste

When was the last time a meatloaf made you close your eyes and just sigh? At Dee's 50's Place Diner in Barberton, Ohio, that happens at nearly every table.

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12 California Towns Losing Residents As Housing Costs And Property Taxes Keep Rising

Have you ever loved a place so much that you couldn't afford to stay? That is the painful reality playing out across a dozen small California towns right now.

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This Tennessee Burger Shack Is Famous For The Double Cheeseburgers That Keep Hungry People Coming Back

What if the best burger of your life came from a tiny white building where you eat elbow to elbow with the cook? That's Johnny's Big Burger in Clarksville, Tennessee, a no frills...

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This Arizona Farm Market Is A Fruit-Filled Paradise Where Orchard Harvest Steals The Spotlight

Desert and orchard are not a combination you expect to work this well, which is exactly why this Arizona farm market feels like such a fun surprise. In a state better known for...

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